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Russia has been relying on Iranian Shahed drones in its attacks on Ukraine with increasing frequency.

The use of drone warfare in the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict does not appear to be dwindling. In fact, Moscow recently fielded a brand-new iteration of the Shahed drone series that Russian forces have been using to strike Kyiv over the last three-plus years of conflict. A video this week has circulated on social media, depicting an air-to-air intercept of an R-60 armed Shahed-160 unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV).

The War Zone reported on the footage, which was shared by the Sternenko Community Foundation, a Ukrainian nongovernmental organization. According to the foundation's claims, the Russian-launched Shahed was destroyed by a Sting anti-drone interceptor. As showcased in images of the aftermath of the attack, the missile appears to have been mounted to a launch rail that had been installed on the Shahed's nose. Despite this instance of the Russian-launched UAV being intercepted, the Shahed drones continue to play a pivotal role in Moscow's war strategy against Kyiv.

The HESA Shahed-136 is an Iranian-designed loitering munition that has become popular due to its role in the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war. This type of lethal UAV is often referred to as a "suicide" or "kamikaze" weapon due to its ability to loiter around a target area before striking.

While the Shahed 136 is rather simple in design, Russia has been significantly ramping up the use of this UAV series since the war began. According to the Center for Strategic and International Studies, Moscow has increased its deployment of these Iranian drones from roughly 200 launches per week to more than 1,000 per week by early 2025. The Shahed-131 variant has also been used frequently in the Eastern European conflict. As an older version of its sister drone, the Shahed-131 features many of the same capabilities as the 136. The Shahed-131 is smaller, however, and it is powered by a reverse-engineered version of the Beijing Micro pilot UAV Control System Ltd MDR-209 Wankel engine.

How Did Russia First Acquire the Iranian Drone Series?

Back in 2023, the White House released images depicting members of a Russian delegation visiting Iran's Karshan Airfield to view several different drone types. While the Iranian regime initially denied its UAV assistance to its Russian ally, the ongoing arms deliveries between the two nations have been confirmed. Early on in the war, the US Defense Intelligence Agency noted that Iran was becoming one of Russia's most critical military backers amidst its Ukraine invasion. Over the last few years, open-source intelligence trackers and analysts have been able to verify that the debris of Iranian-made UAVs like the Shahed have been discovered in the aftermath of attacks in Kyiv.

As the Iranian-Russian defense partnership continues to grow, additional Shahed drone deliveries should be expected.

Source: The National Interest

Indices: Mixed and Little Changed for Most

Stocks: Intel Takes the Volatility Award

Commodities:

FX/Central Banks/Crypto: All Calm on the FX Front

Data: Mostly Bad

Today:

Source: investing

BTC Corrective Rally Continues Despite Short-Term Resistance

Source: fxempire

Key takeaways:

The spike in trend score indicates a transition from distribution to accumulation across almost all cohorts. This shift mirrors a similar accumulation pattern observed in July, which aligned with Bitcoin’s rally to the previous all-time high of $124,500 reached on Aug. 14, from sub-$100,000 levels in June.

Bitcoin accumulation trend score. Source: Glassnode

Additional data from Glassnode reveals a resurgence in buying by small to mid-sized entities holding between 10 and 1,000 BTC, which have accumulated aggressively over the past few weeks.

Bitcoin accumulation trend score by cohort. Source: Glassnode

Notably, Bitcoin’s yearly absorption rate by exchanges has plunged below -130% as outflows continue. This signals a growing preference for self-custody or long-term investment.

Bitcoin yearly absorption rates. Source: Glassnode

Meanwhile, larger holders (100+ BTC) are scooping up almost one and a half times the new issuance, marking the fastest rate of accumulation among sharks and whales in Bitcoin’s history.

Bitcoin yearly absorption rates of whales and sharks. Source: Glassnode

“STHs account for the bulk of the losses, while LTH losses stay comparatively contained, indicating that the stress is largely on recent buyers.”Bitcoin realized losses by LTHs and STHs. Source: Glassnode

Source: Cointelegraph

Consumer spending, adjusted for changes in prices, was little changed in September, according to Bureau of Economic Analysis data out Friday. That followed a downwardly revised 0.2% advance in August. The report was scheduled for release on Oct. 31 but was delayed by the government shutdown.

The so-called core personal consumption expenditures price index, which excludes food and energy items, rose 0.2% from August, according to Bureau of Economic Analysis data out Friday. From the prior year, it was up 2.8%.

The BEA said the next release is yet to be rescheduled.

The pullback among consumers suggests the US economy's main growth engine was slowing before the longest-ever government shutdown started on Oct. 1. More recent data show that Black Friday sales were solid as shoppers searched for deals, but consumers are increasingly anxious about the job market and spending is largely being driven by wealthier households.

Separate data Friday showed consumer sentiment rose in early December for the first the first time in five months. The increase in the University of Michigan's index reflected more optimism about the outlook for personal finances as inflation expectations improved.

Source: Bloomberg Europe

U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi speaks at a press conference following the arrest in the D.C. pipe bomber investigation, at the Justice Department in Washington, D.C., U.S., December 4, 2025. REUTERS/Jessica Koscielniak

U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi on Thursday ordered federal law enforcement to step up investigations into the anti-fascist antifa movement and similar "extremist groups," and asked the FBI to compile a list of entities possibly engaged in domestic terrorism, according to an internal memo reviewed by Reuters.

The memo, which was sent to prosecutors and federal law enforcement agencies, calls on the Justice Department to prioritize investigating and prosecuting acts of domestic terrorism, including any potential "tax crimes" involving "extremist groups" who defrauded the Internal Revenue Service.

It comes several months after President Donald Trump signed an order, opens new tab targeting antifa as a terrorist organization and pledged to go after left-wing groups following the assassination of Charlie Kirk.

Antifa, short for anti-fascist, is a "decentralized, leaderless movement composed of loose collections of groups, networks and individuals," according to the Anti-Defamation League, which tracks extremists.

A Justice Department spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the memo.

"These domestic terrorists use violence or the threat of violence to advance political and social agendas, including opposition to law and immigration enforcement; extreme views in favor of mass migration and open borders; adherence to radical gender ideology, anti-Americanism, anti-capitalism, or anti-Christianity," Bondi wrote in the memo.

She wrote that the FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Forces "shall prioritize the investigation of such conduct."

She also ordered federal law enforcement agencies to scour their files for any intelligence they may have on antifa groups and provide it to investigators.

The FBI and joint terrorism task forces will also be asked to investigate incidents over the past five years that may have involved acts of domestic terrorism, from the doxxing of law enforcement to the targeting of Supreme Court justices, according to the memo.

After the FBI compiles a list of possible groups engaged in alleged acts of domestic terrorism, the agency is required to develop new strategies similar to those used to counter violent and organized crime to "disrupt and dismantle entire networks of criminal activity."

The memo also calls on the department's grant-making offices to prioritize awarding funding to states and municipalities that have programs designed to protect against domestic terrorism, and it instructs the FBI to update and improve its tip line so that "witnesses and citizen journalists can send media of suspected acts of domestic terrorism."

Source: Reuters